Dr. Aurelian Vale – Journal Entry: “Ruins of Steel”

We failed to convince the Emperor. Erik and I tried everything to reveal Dr. Noou’s treachery — his plan to dethrone the sovereign and forge a technocracy of his own design. But blinded by ambition, Noou activated the temporal engine before the stabilization sequence was complete.

In an instant, he was gone — devoured by his own creation — leaving behind only his scorched lab coat, shattered glasses, and a golden pocket watch that shimmered with an unnatural glow. I took the watch with me, uncertain why, but feeling it held meaning yet to unfold.

When I returned to the Emperor, the world outside was... still. Frozen. Every living thing, every motion — arrested mid-existence. Horses half-galloping, birds caught between wingbeats, soldiers turned to statues of ice. A blizzard raged without end, covering the empire in eternal frost.

The Emperor decided to flee toward the South — to the lands across the ocean, where his cousin commanded a powerful navy. He swore to gather survivors, to rebuild in a warmer world. Before he left, he released me from service, saying that Erik and I had done all we could.

I told him my time of adventures had passed. I would return to the Americas — not to the place of my birth, but to the small town near Wardenclyffe, where I once studied the forgotten arts of etheric energy. The Emperor agreed, and as a final courtesy, he had my entire laboratory from Clockwork Island transported there. With it came enough resources to sustain my research for seven generations.

Now, I live quietly. Yet my memories wander through the faces of those I met: Captain Brass, fearless and unpredictable; the Dagon encounter, where sea and madness became one; Dr. Schumacher, builder of cities beneath and above the waves; the Emperor himself, who became both friend and ghost of another age… and of course, my grandson, Erik, whose courage defies the very flow of time.

Still, one oath burns in my heart — I will never forgive Dr. Noou for what he unleashed.

And if time ever grants me the chance… I will make sure it never happens again.

_______________________

Nas ruas do império

O aço a brilhar

No ar algo sério

Máquina a girar

Com engrenagens e vapor

O tempo queriam controlar

Mas a máquina que seduz

Fez a chama apagar

As ruínas de aço

Congeladas no sul

O passado é um laço

Amarrado ao céu azul

O cataclisma chegou

Continente a nevar

No tempo tudo parou

Para sempre vão lembrar

Poder e ambição

O império foi buscar

Mas a máquina letal

Só fez tudo congelar

As ruínas de aço

Congeladas no sul

O passado é um laço

Amarrado ao céu azul

EN:

In the streets of the empire The steel is shining bright Something serious in the air The machine turning with might

With gears and steam They sought to control the time But the machine that seduces Made the flame lose its climb

The ruins of steel Frozen in the south The past is a loop Tied to the blue sky's mouth

The cataclysm arrived The continent is snowing Time stopped completely Forever they'll be knowing

Power and ambition The empire went to seek But the lethal machine Only made everything freeze

The ruins of steel Frozen in the south The past is a loop Tied to the blue sky's mouth